Making a book trailer.

Here is the latest trailer I have made for my latest book Ninja School Mum.

The problem I came across when creating this video, is that I work from a Mac computer. This threw up all sorts of issues when I tried to save the file as a movie to publish on Youtube. Transitions were lost and the music disappeared. I searched the internet and there are not many solutions unless you download new programs onto your computer. I managed to get around the problem this way:

I designed my sides and added transitions.

I added music. This must be WAV and not MP3, as MP3 will not register on Youtube correctly.

I also checked that the music was added to each slide by clicking the transitions tab, then clicking the sound tab, this is found under the duration tab. On the sound tab, scroll down until you find your uploaded music file and click to add.

Make sure your timings and music match. If they don’t you can click the format audio tab and select ‘loop until stopped,’ on the playback tab.

Next you need to convert the file.

I downloaded a free version of Quick Time Player.

Keeping your powerpoint presentation open to the slideshow tab, click on your Quick Time file tab and go to ‘New screen recording. A small recording icon appears in the window.

Selected the tiny arrow next to the red record button and add your sound. This is the third option.

Click the red record button.

A box appears to tell you to click the screen to record. As soon as you click the play button on Powerpoint presentation, Quick Time Player records it.

Play your whole book trailer.

Click exit at the end, as you would to end the slideshow.

Click on Quick Time Player and it will ask you to save the file.

On Quick Time Player, open recent file and find your new file.

You can trim the beginning and end of your video here. Click ‘edit and ‘trim’.

You will be shown the video in still form.

Drag the slider at the bottom across the video and click trim to take out the bits you don’t need at the start or end.

Save your video and upload to Youtube.

You will lose some fluidity, but this is the best result I had from the different practices I tried. I hope it helps!

There are also quite a few video / slideshow maker apps in the Mac store, that are easier to use than iMovie, Lizzie – I try the free versions first, and if they’re any good, buy them (I have several) 😎